Benefits

There are a number of benefits to registration including having pets returned to owners if lost or injured when wearing their registration tag:

Council collects valuable information about local animal populations so that Council can plan for and fund proactive programs and activities.

Legal responsibilities

All dogs and cats over three months of age are required to be microchipped prior to registration with Council. Microchipping and registering on a National Microchip database is not a substitute for Council registration.

Council provides a unique registration tag to every pet registered. Prior to 2001 tags were issued annually. Moreland now issues “Forever” tags renewed annually avoiding plastic waste and saving costs. Replacement tags can be obtained from Council free of charge.

While the wearing of a Council registration tag is a legal requirement under the Domestic Animals Act, pet owners are encouraged to add another tag which indicates the pets name and the contact phone number of the owner.

Animal registration fees are set annually by Council and are payable by 9 April each year. Following an amendment by the State Government commencing 11 April 2013 microchipped only dog and/or cats will no longer be eligible for a reduced fee.

Reduced fees

Reduced registration fees are applicable for dog and /or cats which are:

Council regularly conducts advertising campaigns to advise owners of their obligations to ensure that their pets are registered. Council’s Animal Management Officers investigate properties where it is alleged that an unregistered dog or cat is being kept. To support this activity Council will, at times, utilise trained contractors to visit each property within Moreland to ascertain whether a dog or cat is kept there.

Moreland registration data (2012)

Surveys undertaken have determined that there is an approximate average of 11 dogs per 100 households residing in an inner suburban municipality. This is lower than the State average of 16 due housing density and single occupancies.

Unregistered and un-owned cats continue to be a concern across all suburban municipalities.